


Dawn

by Luckless_Salmon



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Blue lions path, Cape shenanigans, Daddy Issues, Dimitri seriously deserves so much love and affection, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Post-Game, Post-Time Skip, Sleepy mornings with Dimitri and Byleth, Small make-out sesh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 06:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20059852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luckless_Salmon/pseuds/Luckless_Salmon
Summary: A king and an archbishop share a rare morning of peace.





	Dawn

Dawns were most beautiful in the Kingdom, moreso than anywhere else in Fódlan. With the sun just barely peeking over the horizon, the sky was painted in pastel pinks and yellows; light reflected off freshly fallen snow, causing the ground to glimmer as if coated in diamonds. Dimitri couldn’t think of a prettier sight.

“Dimitri...?”

Well, except maybe one.

Byleth stood in the threshold between their chambers and the patio, dressed only in a thin white nightgown. Hair mussed from sleep and eyes squinted against the bright morning sun, Dimitri had never thought she looked more beautiful.

“Ah, did I wake you?” he inquired, smiling sheepishly at his drowsy wife. “My apologies, I thought I was being quiet but we both know that is not my strong suit.” 

Byleth shook her head, rubbing her arms in an attempt to fight off the frigid winter air. “A ray of sun was hitting me right in the eyes. You weren’t there when I rolled over to curl up to you, but the spot was still warm. I figured you couldn’t have gone far.”

“Perceptive as always,” Dimitri hummed, motioning the woman over to stand with him against the railing. “Come beloved, you have to be freezing, join me.”

The young king spread his arms, allowing his wife to snuggle against his chest before wrapping the thick plumage around the two of them. Her body was warm; resting his chin upon her head, he could smell the citrus soap she used to bathe. It was comforting, surprisingly so.

“You’re off to previous Empire territory today” Byleth muttered after a few moments of silence. “How are you feeling about it?”

“I’m... uncertain. Anxious, perhaps,” he replied, moving to rub absentmindedly at the scar Edelgard had left on his chest. It had healed, yes, but still ached on occasion, usually on particularly chilly days, or when the weather changed abruptly. Just another ghost to haunt his every waking moment, he supposed. 

“You have a lot of history there,” Byleth commented, burying her face in the feathers of the cape. “Wish I could join, I’m going to miss you.”

Dimitri made a soft noise in response, peppering the woman’s hair with kisses. “I’m going to miss you as well, terribly so. It seems as if the people need their archbishop in such turbulent times, though.”

Byleth grumbled something under her breath, totally inaudible. At this point, she was practically clinging to him, drawn like a moth to a flame. “Dimitri, you are really warm, like a walking personal heater.”

“I love you too,” the younger man snorted, adjusting his arms as to better support his wife. While Byleth was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, she was... so, so small. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t noticed their difference in stature before- even in heels, she had still needed to gaze up at him during their days at the Academy- but at times like this, it was even more obvious. He could probably envelop her in his cloak and smuggle her out without anyone being the wiser. 

Just as Dimitri was going to (somewhat) jokingly suggest the idea, he noticed the slow rise-and-fall of Byleth’s chest; she had dozed off while he was lost in thought, curled up against him. It made sense, considering how little sleep she had been getting the past few days; by the time she would retire to their chambers, he would be in the midst of preparing for his morning training. Then, just an hour later, she would greet him at breakfast, chipper as a chipmunk. Despite being practically thrust into the role of Archbishop, Byleth was extremely dedicated to her people and the church.

‘So cute,’ Dimitri thought to himself as Byleth nuzzled her cheek into the soft cotton of his shirt. Five years ago, he could have never imagined himself in this scenario: overlooking Fhirdiad as its king, the love of his life snuggled up to his chest, and the support of countless allies behind him. Then, it was difficult to even think of surviving to the next morning; with the specters of the deceased haunting his every waking moment and the sharp ache of his recently-vacated eye socket, death seemed like a welcome relief. Now, that was the furthest thing from his mind.

Felix had insisted he stop wallowing in his own sorrow, thinking of what the dead desired, but at times it was difficult not to.  
‘Father, would you be proud of your son? A man who has forfeited his humanity for insanity, who has slaughtered his own kin, who has sinned so grievously?’

At the end of the day, Dimitri supposed he didn’t really remember the kind of man his father was, nor what the late King would have expected from his son. 

Maybe that was for the best. 

A glance at the sun on the horizon alerted Dimitri to the time, reminded him that he was expected to meet Dedue in the stables soon. Moving with as much grace as he could muster- which was really not much at all- Dimitri scooped Byleth into his arms before making his way across the patio, back into their bedroom. Freshly fallen slow crunched under their combined weight. 

After settling the young woman into their bed, Dimitri went about preparing for his own day- breastplate, gorget, pauldrons, gauntlets, and so on. Despite the relative complexity of his task, Dimitri’s gaze barely strayed from Byleth’s form.

Gods, he truly adored her. 

“Dimitri, are you ready to ride?” A gravelly voice inquired through the bedroom door, barely audible. Dedue, aware of Byleth’s lack of sleep, courteous as ever.

“Just a moment, old friend,” the young king replied, just as softly. Pulling on a leather riding glove using his teeth, Dimitri was able to close the window curtains with his free hand, blocking out any semblance of the bright morning sun. After properly adjusting the second glove, he moved to sit on the edge of the bed near his wife.

“Sleep well, beloved,” he practically cooed, brushing aside her bangs to place a kiss on her forehead. With how serene her face appeared, Dimitri practically jumped out of his skin when a hand shot out from beneath the linens. 

“Seems like you may be forgetting something, your Royal Highness,” Byleth teased, an eyepatch dangling from between her fingers. “Unless you plan on showing off that handsome scar today.” 

Dimitri felt his cheeks flush, grabbing the fabric and adjusting it to fit snugly over the right half of his face. Among close friends and advisors, he had begun to leave the patch off, but still wore the accessory in public to prevent uncomfortable gawking. It was easy to forget it’s existence entirely. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” she soothed, reaching up to tuck a strand of blond hair behind his ear. “What kind of wife would I be if I knowingly allowed you to leave without it?”

“A kind, gentle one,” he responded without missing a beat, grasping her hands within his own. “One who is selfless, beautiful both inside and out.”

Dimitri began to kiss each of her fingertips, reveling in the way Byleth’s cheekbones turned a rosy shade of pink. After making his way across both of her hands, he leaned in towards her face, lips just a hairs-width away from her own.

“Send me to battle or send me to war, it matters not,” he whispered, stroking along her hip bone with the thumb or his right hand. “If it were not for you, I would have perished long ago. I’ve pledged myself to you until our days on this planet come to an end, and even then I swear my fealty to you for whatever comes next. You are my beloved, now and for eternity.”

With that, Dimitri kissed her. Byleth, never one to be outdone, reciprocated passionately, tangling her delicate fingers in the long tresses of his hair. Dimitri barely managed to withhold a groan when she ground her hips into his crotch. 

“I certainly wish this armor wasn’t in the way,” Byleth cooed, wrapping her legs around her husbands waist and pressing her chest against the cold metal of his breastplate. “I’m sure Dedue wouldn’t mind waiting a few more minutes for his liege to join him...”

An infernal heat rising in his belly, primal urges muddling his thoughts, the young king barely had time to open his mouth before someone at the door cleared their throat. The voice was much louder than before, tinged with discomfort. Having known Dedue for so many years, his plea was clear to Dimitri.

“I-I’m sorry,” he replied, gently pulling away from his wife, “but I do need to depart. You know how finicky nobles can be when kept waiting.” 

Byleth sighed, shimmying further beneath the covers in an attempt to hide her disappointment . “I certainly do, but it doesn’t make your departure any easier.”

“Thank you for being so good natured about it,” Dimitri consoled, making an attempt to fix his appearance before rising from the bed. His hair would still be in disarray, but that could easily be blamed on a late start and bed head. “I promise to make it up to you upon my return.”

“You better,” the woman grumbled, turning away to burying her face in the pillow he typically used; it supposedly smelled of pine, much like himself. 

After taking a few additional moments to collect himself (and will down a partial erection), Dimitri slipped past the threshold of the room, murmuring a quiet “Sleep well, I love you” 

As the door shut behind him, there was a barely audible “I love you too.”

Dimitri couldn’t help but smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Every new contribution to the Dimitri/Byleth tag on AO3 fuels my soul. Here is another paltry contribution on my part.


End file.
